The importance to properly fold clothes
by erinn80
Summary: Sam's thoughts after her dad's death
1. Chapter 1

**I always have Sam/Jack ideas in my head. Sometimes I write them down. **

**I don't know if it's normal to mix angst and humor though! Thanks to Cags for the beta work.**

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_"Samantha, whether you are packing or putting __clothes_ away in a drawer, it's _important __to fold t__hem correctly. It will help to keep __wrinkles __at bay__."_

Lying on the bed in her quarters curled into a fetal position, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter stared at the clothes she'd carelessly thrown on the floor and decided that there must be something really wrong with her.

Truth be told she didn't even want to come here, but General O'Neill ordered her to.

_"Carter, when was the last time you slept? Go get some rest, in the meantime I'll take care of everything and I will come to wake you up in a couple of hours."_

So here she was, an hour after her father's death and her thoughts were wandering back to her great-aunt Janice.

She'd met her just a few times when she was 8 years old and her dad was stationed not far from where her great-aunt and her family lived; she never liked her though.

Sam remembered that every time she had gone to visit aunt Janice, her mother insisted she had to wear a dress and she discovered the reason quite soon.

_"Samantha, dear, come here and help me with this needlework. Every girl should learn how to sew."_

_"A telescope? Why do you want a telescope for your birthday? Samantha, you have to stop living in a dream world. I think a new pair of black shiny shoes would be a better gift to ask for."_

_"Samantha! Stay sit like a lady. Stop fidgeting or you will ruin your dress!" _

It was probably the only time that Sam was glad when, six months later, her father told her they had to move to another State.

One evening not long after she overheard her parents talking about Janice and the reason for her aunt's behaviour became clearer.

At the age of 25 years old she was still unmarried. She was so afraid to remain maid for the rest of her life that, when the first man interested in her asked her hand, she immediately said yes. After a year she got pregnant and gave birth to a little girl. Four other girls followed the first one before she finally bore the male heir her husband wanted.

That night Samantha Carter swore to herself that she would have always follow her dreams. Some day she would go to space and no man would decide her future in her place.

Thirty years later, the image of her great-uncle Carl suddenly mixed with the one of her fiancé and, with horror, Sam pictured an older Pete with a large belly sitting on the couch watching a football match and yelling at her to bring him a beer and start making dinner.

_God, I really need to sleep. _

_I'm clearly sleep-deprived and I shouldn't trust my mind in this condition, should I? I'm thinking about my great-aunt and uncle for crying out loud! _

Sam froze.

Maybe it was really time to be sincere about her feelings for General O'Neill.

No. Her feelings for _Jack_.

Had she really thought she had moved on from him? She had believed so and for a while it worked. It was fun to go out and have someone take care of her, but she should have never let things go so far with Pete. Deep inside her she always knew that, but the idea of normal life outside the SGC was too tantalizing to admit the truth.

She remembered the discussion she had with Daniel and Teal'c some months before. The societal pressures on women hadn't really changed too much in the past seventy years.

She had almost broken the promise she made to herself when she was a child.

Samantha Carter now understood why her sleep-deprived brain had reminded her of her aunt Janice. She was about to repeat her history.

There were no sure evidences that Pete would have become like her uncle Carl, even though he did buy a house without asking her opinion and he did have a tendency to fatten. He had already gained weight since she started dating him.

Maybe her sleep-deprived mind was right.

She rewrote physic laws in three months with almost no sleep.

Hell, she saved Earth a dozen of times while being sleep-deprived.

Yes, she could trust her head in this state.

Concussion instead was a different situation.

Note to self: never take life altering decisions while suffering a head injury.

_Don't let rules stand in your way_

She thought about her father's words and a tear started rolling down her cheek.

He knew her feelings for Jack, maybe even better than her.

_Jack_

He was with Kerry now. A pang of jealousy hit her.

Had she lost her chance with him?

Sam slowly removed her engagement ring form her finger, she set it down on her nightstand and finally closed her eyes.

She had an engagement to break.

An angry brother to face.

A funeral to organize.

She didn't know where she stood with Jack.

Yet she remembered her dad's last words.

_You can still have everything you want_

Her last thought before she surrendered to sleep was about Jack's promise.

_Always_

Maybe her father was right.

Maybe she could still have the only person who made her happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**My ficlet was supposed to be a one-shot but since you asked I added a little sequel. It's pure fluff.**

**Thanks again to Cags for the beta work.**

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_A yellow dress._

_A pair of pink socks._

_A blue sweater._

Colonel Samantha Carter-O'Neill thought she had never washed and folded so many clothes like she had done in these past five years.

_The amount of laundry is destined to double in a couple of months. To triple to be exact._

She unconsciously rubbed her swollen belly and continued her work, while thinking about all the changes that had happened so far.

For years she had been afraid she wouldn't be able to balance her workaholic nature with the needs of her hypothetical future family.

She struggled a little during the first months in her relationship with Jack but his continuous support, his trust and his love helped her to overcome her fears and doubts.

Perhaps the most difficult thing to learn had been to delegate part of her projects to other people; that it was right to put a stop to her usual endless working hours and go home to her family.

A family.

She really had a family now.

Sometimes it was hard for her to believe it had really happened.

Sometimes she was afraid it had all been a dream, that she would just wake up and find herself still trapped on Fifth's ship.

It was real though.

She smiled, picked up the basket of clean laundry and moved forwards to her daughter's room.

She set the basket over the chest of drawers and leaned against the doorjamb, watching her husband reading "The Wizard of Oz" to their little girl. When he finished the chapter, Jack turned toward her letting Emily see Sam.

The sandy-blond haired girl beamed with joy, showing her megawatt smile that was the exact copy of her mother's.

"Mommy! Can you tuck me in, can't you?" Emily said holding out her arms.

Sam sat on the free side of the bed and took her daughter in her arms, cuddling her and giving her soft kisses that made her giggle.

"Time to sleep now sweetie"

Emily bent down, kissed Sam's large belly and said "Goodnight babies. I love you!"

Both her parents tucked her in, gave her a goodnight kiss and left the room.

In the hallway Jack hugged Sam, as much as her enlarged belly allowed it, and told her "Go to bed. I'll be there soon". He then went downstairs to lock doors and windows.

Lying in bed Sam's thoughts went back to her dead father. She missed him terribly.

Her eyes became teary.

_Damn hormones!_

She felt Jack spooning her, laying a hand on her bump and being rewarded with a kick from one of the twins. It seemed they always knew when their dad was near.

Jack tenderly kissed her forehead and whispered "He would be happy for us".

How he managed to always know what she was thinking about was a mystery to her but she didn't complain about this talent. It was just another reason why she loved him so much.

Jack wiped away her tears with his thumb and then started massaging her lower back, easing the tension in her body.

The need for sleep slowly started overtaking her. She closed her eyes and smiled.

_Yes Dad. You were right. Now I have everything I have ever wanted._

_I just wish you were here to see it._

_I love you. _


End file.
